Benjamin Furdui serves coffee in the breeze way at 5th and Citrus. The AndCoffee — or &Coffee — Truckster is a new addition Redlands’ plans to make downtown more attractive.

The &Coffee truckster is the vision of brothers Benjamin and James Furdui — two local coffee lovers with a dream. The truckster is on site on heavy traffic days, but the overall goals is to have a daily presence in the area Monday.

REDLANDS >> Two brothers want to help start your morning off right with a cup of joe.

James and Benjamin Furdui are behind the new AndCoffee — or &Coffee — cart that recently took up residence in the breezeway between City Hall and the downtown public parking structure on Citrus Avenue.

The cart is a dream come true for the duo, who have aspirations of opening up their own storefront in downtown, they said.

“I’ve been drinking coffee since I was 8 years old with my grandpa and fell in love with it,” said James. “We want to be the ‘and coffee’ throughout your day.”

The cart is different from the norm — it’s a remodeled utility truck James found in a utility yard.

With help from their dad, the brothers gave the truck a huge makeover to improve its mobility and create storage.

“I like the idea of making something out of something that has history to it,” James said. “It’s American made and has a lot of history for it.”

In June, the City Council approved the coffee vendor’s agreement with the city, and, prior to its opening, city staff installed utility hookups for necessary cart operations.

City staff recently installed shade sails above round tables in the breezeway and a new seating area adjacent to the area. Music now plays in the area for additional ambiance.

The cart is out periodically so both James and Benjamin can gauge days when the area is populated with potential customers.

Currently, the brothers serve up locally distributed and grown Wild Goose Coffee, but they envision brewing beans of their own in the future. They also hope to expand operation hours, James said.

Currently, the cart serves a selection of iced lattes, espressos, cappuccinos and Americanos. AndCoffee runs on a donation-based system where customers pay what they wish. James and Benjamin also are relying on social media and word of mouth to attract returning and new customers.

“This is my dream,” said James. “My end game.”

“I really enjoy it because we feed off each other. We push each other. We motivate each other,” added Benjamin. “Plus, Redlands has such a good community, and who doesn’t like hanging out and trying different spots?”

To learn more, follow AndCoffee on Instagram at AndCoffeeCo or send an email to thecoffeetruckster@gmail.com.